Les Maguire obit

Merseybeat legend and 'devoted' dad and grandad dies

Les Maguire was the keyboardist for Gerry and the Pacemakers

 He was not on the list.

A Merseybeat legend and "devoted" dad and grandad has died aged 81.

Born on December 27, 1941 in Wallasey, Les Maguire was best known as the keyboardist for Merseybeat band Gerry and the Pacemakers. Les joined the band in 1961, replacing the group's original pianist Arthur MacMahon, and remained in the band until they disbanded towards the end of the 60s.

The dad-of-two also performed in bands Hog Owl and the Zodiacs - also known as Ian and the Zodiacs. Les' love of music began as a child where he performed as a choir boy and his career began playing tenor saxophone in pop group Vegas Five, which would later evolve into The Undertakers.

Les died on Saturday, November 25 at Aintree Hospital following a short illness and was surrounded by family. Les' granddaughter Hollie Crosbie, 33, paid tribute to the "devoted" dad and grandad.

Speaking to the ECHO, she said: "Grandad was just really fun and a very generous person. He was a really lovely guy and everybody loved him. My own dad died when I was 11-years-old and he was like a dad to me.

"He was a great grandad to my little my little boy Finley. He was the first boy born in the family and he was very excited."

While touring in Germany Les met his wife Brigitte and they went on to have two daughters - Stephanie, Hollie's mum, and Karin, who sadly died in 1990 - and the family settled in Formby. Brigitte sadly died in 2012.

After his time in Gerry and the Pacemakers, Les joined the Royal Navy where he remained until he retired. Later in life he also met his partner Irene. Hollie told the ECHO how her grandad was "always the musical one" in the family and remembers going to see him play.

She said: "For us we remember him in The Zodiacs, known as Ian and the Zodiacs. We would go see him play at all sorts of venues."

Following the deaths of Freddie Marsden in 2006, Les Chadwick in 2019, and Gerry Marsden in 2021, Les was the last surviving member of the 1960s Pacemakers line-up before his death on November 25.